My Dog

When I first saw this stockily built, fox eared, pumpkin colored dog I was a long way from being impressed. In addition to being funny looking, she wouldn't mind and barked almost constantly. Besides, she dug holes all over the backyard. We needed that mutt like we needed a case of smallpox.

After a few days I took her for a walk because she needed exercise and so did I. Her pulling on the leash made it a bit hard to control the direction we were going. I was ready to give her up as a lost cause. The next day she was anxious to repeat our walk. She stayed close to me as I walked around the house so I wouldn't leave without her. She was a little easier to handle that time. Every day we walked and gradually I began to look forward to our walks.

I decided to try her on my 3 mile run. She loved it every day, when it approached running- time, Pumpkin (Ronnie's name for her) showed her excitement. She was fine on the run, but developed a dislike for school buses and try to attack them. One of the drivers asked me to keep her on a shorter leash so she wouldn't get under the wheels of the bus. I told the bus driver I would try to control her.

When I worked in the yard she stayed close to me. Somehow she was always at my heels. She understood what I was saying and, it seemed, even what I was thinking. She wormed her way into my affection. I began to look forward to our runs and our time together. She became my dog and somehow I belong to her. We understood and loved each other.

Today I thoughtlessly left a door open, where she could run out into the street. Because she hated school buses, she charged the first one she saw and was killed. I picked up her still warm lifeless bleeding body. Because I didn't know what else to do I laid her on the front lawn. Our new neighbor stopped to say he was sorry. I thanked him for his kind concern. Ronnie suggested I bury pumpkin. I dug a hole. As I laid her in her final resting place her eyeball fell out. I quickly covered her up.

It was hard for me to realize she was dead. A short time before she had been a bundle of energy in with a zest for living. Pumpkin had so much uncritical love to give. She demanded attention and love in return. It was a question as to whether I owned her. She owned me. When I dug a hole for her lifeless body it left a hole in my heart that will take time to heal. I loved that dog.